


That One Night...

by Magentas_Nightmare



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, Merle Dixon and Younger woman, Pregnancy, Soulmates, Sweet love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:01:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22115296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magentas_Nightmare/pseuds/Magentas_Nightmare
Summary: Merle finds his world turned upside down by a young woman he happens to pick up on a rainy night.
Relationships: Merle Dixon and OFC
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

Fire Away

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18AhUXAILWE>

* * *

**That One Night**

**Chapter 1**

The night was cold and bleak. Merle Dixon was only a few hours away from home and the minutes dragged like a dull blade over his aching back. Six months on the rigs left him rich but ragged and he knew that after a week he'd be feeling great, for the time being though, he was done.

Rain began to fall from bloated grey clouds suspended overhead and he turned on his headlights as the sun gave up and sank below the horizon. He took a long swig of truck stop coffee and turned on the radio to keep himself from drifting off. The long hours started to wear him down now. At 36 he was about ready to pack in pipelining but the money was so sweet it was hard to say no.

He had nobody back home to be with and no reason not to be away. If he had a woman or even friends besides Daryl, he'd have something to stay home for but that wasn't the case. He planned to take a little time between jobs this time to do some fixing up of his little cabin. He still lived out at the lake just outside of town and loved the solitude. Only in the summer was he ever troubled by strangers and they were all tourist types who didn't bother trying to make friends. He and Daryl had gone out the lake a few years before just for fishing but Merle decided to build his cabin there and stay. He liked being alone, but a woman might be nice. In fact, he was planning to stop by the local bar when he got cleaned up over the weekend and try his luck. He was still holding out some hope of meeting someone.

He was ten minutes down a deserted road back to Clark's Hill Lake, Georgia when he saw something in the ditch and for split second it looked like a doe. After a moment he noticed fawn-colored suede and blue jeans with long dark hair and realized it was a girl. There wasn't so much as a gas station for miles and the rain was coming down sideways with the wind. It wasn't like him to stop for people on the road, but she looked very young, only a teenager by the look of it.

He sighed because something told him that this girl would mean more of a time commitment than a ride to the next town but still he pulled over to the shoulder of the road a good 30 feet ahead of the girl.

Merle slid over to the passenger side of the truck to get out and walk back to her.

“Hey there...you OK?” he shouted to her and stopped about 15 feet back so it didn't look as though he was coming after her.

“Yeah!” she hollered back.

“It's raining cats and dogs out here!”

“I'm OK!”

She was squinting at him as the rain beat against her face and plastered her hair to her cheeks. He was getting soaked and she was being a little annoying with her nothing responses. He came a little closer so they wouldn't have to raise their voices and tried again.

“Do you want a ride?”

“No.”

“But-”

“I'm fine.”

She didn't have a purse. It didn't even look like she had a phone or anything...like she'd been dumped there with nothing at all to her name.

“Look...I understand if you don't trust me but did you want to at least call someone? I have a phone you can use.”

“I have nobody to call.”

“I can drive you somewhere if you want. I won't hurt you.”

“I've got nowhere to go,” she answered and he could see a little desperation in her voice.

“You're gonna catch a cold out here...I don't want to leave you here.”

“You won't hurt me?”

“I swear to God. Just get in the truck OK?”

She looked up and down the road and seemed to see that this was her best option. The girl followed him back to the truck and he opened the door for her to get in.

“I'll just crank up the heat for ya.”

He could see her shivering and reached behind her back to grab his bag from the backseat, making her flinch.

“Sorry, I was just grabbing something for you. Didn't mean to freak you out.”

“It's OK,” she said softly.

Merle unzipped his bag and pulled out a big dry sweater and asked if she wanted to put it on.

“It's a good hour till we hit the next town and you look half frozen to death.

She held the sweater in her hands and he waited for her to decide what to do. He could tell that something was seriously off about her. Something big was going on in her life. She unbuttoned her suede jacket and pushed it back off her shoulders to pull the sweater on over a t-shirt she was wearing. He checked her arms for signs of bruising or something to explain her demeanor but didn't see anything unusual.

“Thanks,” she nodded and kept her eyes ahead.

“No problem. There's a coffee there if you want it. It'll warm you up some.”

He'd just picked up the coffee in his thermal mug so it was still hot and she accepted it with another simple thank you.

“My name is Merle Dixon,” he offered, trying to stay awake with conversation now that she was drinking his coffee.

“Molly.”

He waited for her to say something else, but she just stayed staring out the windshield, he didn't even know where he was supposed to be taking her yet. Merle wasn't crazy about silence, so he turned up the stereo a little and just drove.

_**Honey load up your questions** _

_**And pick up your sticks and your stones** _

_**And pretend I’m a shelter for heartaches that don’t have a home** _

_**Choose the words that cut like a razor** _

_**And all that I’ll say is** _

_**Fire away** _

_**Take your best shot** _

_**Show me what you got** _

_**Honey, I’m not afraid** _

_**Rear back and take aim** _

_**And fire away** _

Merle played an entire Chris Stapleton album before turning to see if she was ready to talk, but Molly was sleeping.

 _What the hell do I do with her now?_ he wondered as he entered the first of a few small towns on the way home. Merle parked up at a restaurant to grab something to eat and she woke up when he reached for his wallet in the glove box.

“You hungry, Molly?” he asked.

He was flushed with cash so it was no hardship to pick up a meal for the girl.

“I'm OK. I have no money.”

“Lemme buy you some food.”

Merle wasn't into this silly stuff. She was clearly cold and hungry and he wasn't about to eat in front of her while her stomach growled.

“What do you want for it?” she asked and he frowned in confusion for a moment.

“I don't want anything. What do you want to eat?” he pressed.

“Anything.”

“Burger and fries it is,” he nodded. “Be right back.”

“I need the washroom,” she said.

“Go for it. Meet you back here in a minute.”

A few minutes later he was eating a big greasy burger and stuffing handfuls of fries in his mouth. He hadn't eaten in hours and was making up for a missed supper.

Molly got in next to him and he slid the box of take out food toward her.

“Got you a coke too,” he said, pointing to a cup in the cupholder.

“Thank you.”

“Don't mention it. So where am I taking you anyway?”

“Augusta?”

“You got family there or something?”

“No...I need a shelter.”

“Molly, what's going on with you?”

“I can't talk about it,” she winced.

“I don't need the details but...are you in trouble? Is someone hurting you?”

“I have nowhere to go. My parents threw me out.”

“How old are you, Molly?”

“Seventeen.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Please don't turn me in to the authorities or something...please. I'll run. I won't go back there!”

“I ain't gonna turn you in and I ain't taking you to a fuckin' homeless shelter either.”

“Where am I supposed to go?” she asked.

He only thought about it for about a split second before deciding that he wasn't going to let her spend another minute alone in the world, it just wasn't right.

“I got a little place at Clark's Hill Lake. You can stay with me till you get your shit straight.”

“I'm telling you I have nothing, not a red cent.”

“Eat your food while it's hot. I'm not charging you for anything.”

“Thank you,” she whispered and began to devour the food as he pulled back onto the highway and toward home.

Merle didn't know what the hell he was thinking to be getting mixed up with a minor but he didn't want to leave her in a shelter. He and Daryl had been treated badly at home too and he didn't want to be part of the society that abandoned a girl like Molly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is 10 chapters long and it takes Merle a while to figure out what's happening so forgive his cluelessness. lol

**That One Night**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Merle pulled up within the next hour and a half at his little A-frame cabin and she looked amazed.

“This is your house?”

“Yep. Built it with my own two hands.”

“Wow...really?”

“Yep.”

He led her inside and showed her around.

The main floor was a basic living room with a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. The upper level was an open loft with natural wood and a skylight. Merle liked warm wood paneling, simple deep greens and blues. One bonus of living alone meant his place could look just how he liked. Merle Dixon's aesthetic was comfortable and simple. He added a little bathroom up in the loft with a shower but the loft wasn't used unless Daryl stayed over. He liked the idea of a loft when he built the place but half the time he was too lazy to make it up the stairs.

“You can have the loft. There's a bathroom up there too. I sleep down here. The kitchen is yonder way, eat what you like although there probably ain't much at the moment cause I ain't been home in ages.”

He walked to the fridge and grabbed a beer.

“Want one?”

“I can't.”

“I won't call the cops,” he chuckled.

“It's not that. Thanks anyways.”

“Your call. I'm beat to all hell cause I just got off work so if you don't mind I'm gonna pound this, take a shower, and then crash.”

“Thank you so much...I wish I could repay you.”

“It's all good. I got the space and you need somewhere to stop and make a plan. No worries. There's blankets and towels up there for ya. Get some good rest OK? It won't seem so rough in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Merle.”

“Night, Molly.”

He downed the beer and walked to the downstairs bathroom to strip off the work gear that felt plastered to his body with sweat. The water came down hot like merciful heaven and he groaned as he felt himself coming back to life. When he came out of the bathroom he could hear her up in the open loft stretching in bed and yawning laboriously. She seemed as wrecked as he was and they both just needed to crash.

Molly was short, maybe 5 foot 2, and had long dark hair with brown eyes. She was a pretty little thing, probably just the kind of girl he'd like when he was seventeen, but he was 36 and she was 100% off-limits.

Merle crawled into bed and briefly hoped that she wouldn't rob him and run away in the night, but she didn't seem the type. He was so tired he'd just have to roll the dice and pray she was a nice girl.

/

He stumbled out of bed and found her on the couch looking pale and queasy the next morning. He thought back to the night before when she said she couldn't have a beer and it started to make sense. This girl was most likely about to be a teen mom and he wondered who the father was.

“You OK?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she smiled. “Just a little stomach issue...I'm fine.”

Merle walked to the cupboard and grabbed a can of ginger ale that he liked to mix with whiskey and poured it over some ice in a glass for her.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

“I'm gonna be doing a little work around here cause I'm between jobs so I'll be running here and there to the hardware store and shit like that. I'll pick up some food this morning cause the fridge is pretty bare. Anything you want?”

“Anything is fine.”

“There's gotta be something you like. I told ya I ain't taking you to the shelter so you may as well get comfortable till you find another place to go.”

She looked at him strangely then.

“You aren't letting me leave?”

“You're seventeen and obviously pregnant. If you think I'm taking you to a shit hole shelter in Augusta you got another thing comin', honey.”

“But-”

“It's OK. It ain't none of my business. Just stay as long as you like and take it easy for a bit while you figure things out.”

“You can't be for real,” she exclaimed.

“I had a home life that kinda sucked too when I was your age.”

“I'll figure something out soon. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I can.”

“Do I look worried?” he chuckled. “When you feel better, get something to eat, OK?”

“OK.”

Merle grabbed a coffee and headed out to see about some hardware for building a new fence and putting in a new window upstairs. He wanted some privacy from the tourists who showed up in the summer and had a 6-foot fence and a new fire pit in mind.

He arrived back home within an hour and grabbed another beer to begin planning out the fence in the backyard. He pulled off his t-shirt in the humid mid-morning heat and started measuring out where the posts would be going. The idea of some peace the following summer drove him on and by afternoon he was ready to get started the next day when the supplies were to be delivered.

He headed in through the back door and pulled his shirt back on to grab yet another beer and noticed Molly was finally eating.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“Yeah, it's just in the morning I feel like that.”

“They don't call it morning sickness for nothing.”

“I guess not,” she shrugged.

“How far along are ya?”

“10 weeks I think.”

“You been to the doctor yet?”

“No.”

“You should.”

“No money.”

“I'll take you.”

“I can't let you do that.”

“Are you keepin' it?”

“I want to...my mom told me I had to get rid of it but I can't do that.”

“Forget about that. You want to keep it?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you gotta see one of them lady doctors.”

“Are you always like this?”

“Like what?”

“So forward...and kinda pushy?”

“Pretty much. I just see things that need to be done and I do 'em.”

“I never met anyone like you.”

“Who's baby is it?”

“A guy from my high school but he's denying it. He says it could be anyone's...but I was only ever with him.”

“Fuck him. You go ahead and keep it if you want. You should finish school though.”

“How?”

“Take your GED. Bet you could get it done before the baby gets here and then we could get you into community college or something.”

“Merle?”

“What?”

“Are you organizing my whole life?”

“Someone has to. You was walkin' along the ditch in the rain with a baby in your belly. That ain't no plan.”

“Hey!”

“It's true though right?”

“Yeah.”

“Molly, I'm older than you and I know a thing or two about life. Let me help you out.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I told ya, I had a rough start in life too. I don't know your story and you don't have to tell me shit, but I know you aren't getting the care you deserve if they thought it was OK to turn you out on the street. I'm just saying, I've been there too. You just need some direction and a roof over your head. I got both.”

“Seriously...you can't be real,” she said again.

“I'm real alright.”

/

Merle called around and found a clinic that wasn't charging an arm and a leg for prenatal care and set up an appointment for her for the next day.

“What are they gonna do?” she asked when he told her about it.

“The doctor's a lady and she said they're gonna take blood and just check you out.”

“OK. Will you be there?”

“If you want me to. You make sure to tell 'em it ain't mine or they'll lock my ass up.”

“Is that illegal?” she asked.

“Is what illegal?”

“If the baby was yours.”

“Don't know if it's technically illegal but I'm pretty sure they'd still think I was some kind of asshole."

“I'm almost 18 though."

"I'm 36, that's so young people would be hunting me down. The age of consent is 16 but it still...uh...next topic.”

“Just asking,” she said. "I'm not saying we should do it or anything."

“You scare the hell outta me sometimes," he chuckled.

/

Merle worked on the fence for most of the day and then woke Molly up early the next day to see the doctor. The downtown clinic was small and offered care to lower-income people. Merle explained the situation to the lady doctor named Jacqui at the front desk.

“This girl was in the rain and cold so I just gave her a place to sleep. It turns out she's knocked up and I just wanna make sure she's OK. My plan is to find her a place to go that's safe and help her get her GED.”

“Uh huh,” the doctor answered.

“I know what you're thinking but it's not mine. I'm just a sucker for a young person in a shitty situation cause I grew up like that myself. I really just wanna help her get on her feet.”

“I'm going to have a word with her and make sure all that checks out and then I'll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.”

Molly was cared for and was able to hear the baby's heartbeat which made her giddy. Merle paid the doctor and they agreed on a payment plan for the rest of the pregnancy. Merle was spending up some of the money he earned but it was only money. He didn't have anyone else to spend it on and seeing her smile made him feel good.


	3. Chapter 3

**The One Night**

**Chapter 3**

Merle made some lunch then started looking online for GED courses. It would be easier for her to study at home and he didn't feel like driving 40 minutes into Augusta every day for her to be in a class. He found an online preparation course through a Christian organization that helped teen moms where she could complete high school online for free and started filling out the form. If she let herself fall out of school too long it would only be harder to get it done. He didn't want her relying on shithead men for the rest of her life so she needed to finish school.

“How were your grades in school?” he asked.

“Good. I have a B average. I've only been out for a month or so and I'm in my last year.”

“You'll have no trouble wrapping it up before the little one comes then. I'll sign you up.”

“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “Doesn't it cost money?”

“Nope. Name?”

“Molly Jane Rigby.”

“Birthday?”

“September 21, 2002.”

“You're such a baby,” he chuckled. “Your birthday's coming up soon.”

“Yeah, two weeks.”

“I'll put in my address. What high school did you go to so they can get your transcripts?”

“Greenbow High.”

“Cool. That's about it, I think.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Merle?”

“What?”

“Don't you have someone?”

“Someone?”

“A wife or a girlfriend?”

“Not at the moment. I've been away working for 6 months.”

“Will me being here cramp your style?”

“I ain't got much style to cramp, don't worry about it.”

He remembered that he'd been thinking of getting laid before stumbling upon Molly but he'd be busy with her stuff so it would have to fall by the wayside for the moment. Maybe he could head to the bar on the weekend. Molly was certainly old enough to leave alone for a night.

“Maybe I'll try my luck this weekend, who knows?”

She nodded and then went back to her food. Merle liked someone else just being there and there was no pressure around her to be funny or clever or attractive, he could just be Merle. Sitting around in his boxers and a t-shirt was something he liked and he could be casual with her.

“You need more clothes,” he noted when he remembered that she had nothing with her, no backpack or anything. “You ain't even got a toothbrush do ya?”

“Merle-” she winced. “I'll manage.”

“Come on, we'll go to town.”

“Merle-”

“Come on,” he pressed. “You need some stuff.”

He had to force her out the door with her insisting that she didn't want him wasting his money but he wasn't having it.

“It's gonna be Walmart, not Chanel, relax. I ain't gonna go broke, girl.”

They drove to Walmart in Augusta and he walked her up and down the aisles picking out a hairbrush, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner and a few other girly items. He made her pick out some clothes and could tell how weird she felt about it but it was a simple fact that she needed things just to get by.

“You can't wear the same thing every day and pretty soon you'll need something bigger anyway cause you'll be out to here,” he noted, holding his hand about a foot out from his belly.

“Jesus, will I be that big?”

“I don't know. But you'll be bigger so get something maternity or something that'll stretch a bit.”

“You must be crazy blowing your money on me,” she sighed.

“Why the hell not? Maybe it'll be good karma,” he joked.

She had a few outfits and the basic toiletries and he added some groceries to the cart.

“You need underthings too, don't ya?” he asked before they got to the till.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Go grab what you need and I'll wait here.”

Back at home, he played some music and was making supper when an email came back from the online school.

“You're school sent the transcript so you can start on Monday.”

“And it's really free?” she checked.

“That's what they said. You can use my computer and get going this week.”

She got a little weepy then and he figured it must be the hormones so he assured her yet again that it was alright and he was happy to help. So far it had only cost him a couple hundred bucks in clothes and a doctor visit. He'd made over $40,000 in the last six months and his expenses were next to nothing, he didn't mind sharing the wealth a little. Molly was a nice girl, she just needed a break to get her feet under her.

/

Molly started school and Merle kept working on the fence and they fell into a routine that worked well over the next two weeks. She'd get up early, be sick for a bit, get started on school and work until suppertime. He'd get up, work on the fence, go fishing on the lake or just hang out and then make supper for them both.

Merle's brother Daryl finally stopped by after getting a break from the wife and kids and was stunned by the new living situation Merle was in. He let him know how weird it was over fishing one afternoon as Molly got busy studying at home.

“Merle, you've fuckin' snapped this time.”

“It's not a big deal.”

“You're a dad to this girl. You see that, right?”

“She could fuckin' use a dad. Her own parents tossed her out on the street.”

“She's not your responsibility though. Is it even legal to have someone else's kid in your house.”

“She's turning 18 tomorrow and it's not like I'm fucking her.”

“Thank Christ for that,” Daryl groaned.

“What do you take me for?”

“Sorry, it just doesn't make a lot of sense.”

“I know that, Daryl...I just don't want to see her throw her whole life away. She just needs a little guidance and a little help.”

“Just don't get all wrapped up in this and lose your grip on reality, Merle. She ain't your daughter.”

“I know that. I don't see her like my kid or my girlfriend, she's just a fellow traveler on this Earth who needs a helping hand.”

“You a hippy now or something?” Daryl scoffed.

“Maybe I am.”

Merle was expecting the talking to from his brother but Daryl didn't understand the way things were with him and Molly and he understood that. It didn't make sense on paper but it made sense to him. He just liked her being there and it felt good to help her, that's all it was.

The next day, Merle took Molly out for supper and bought her a cake for her birthday. He gave her $100 in a card because he didn't know what 18-year-old women liked and she tried to give it back.

“You don't give back gifts, Molly. I told you it's nothing. I got money.”

“Thank you, Merle. This is a great birthday...I feel so...”

“Don't start cryin' again, honey. It's all good, I told ya.”

“I can't think of the last time my mom gave me anything...ever since she met Vince, she just forgot I existed.”

“Do you mind me asking what the hell happened with your family?”

“My dad died when I was 13, just a random accident at work. My mom was having trouble paying the bills and she met an asshole named Vince. He got her on opioids and I basically lost her for good...she was never a great mom, but now she just doesn't give a shit about me. They were looking for a reason to throw me out and I guess I gave them one.”

“Jesus...”

“My dad was a good man, he loved me. It just sucks that it was him I had to lose,” she sighed.

“I'm sorry, honey. Life ain't fair sometimes. I lost my mom when I was a kid and my dad was the asshole.”

“Twins,” she noted with a shrug. “We both lost the wrong parent.”

She managed to choke down the tears and they settled in to watch a movie for the evening as she also worked on exam prep.

“How's it going anyway?” he asked.

“It's good. The teachers there are really helpful and I'm doing well on the testing quizzes."

“Awesome! Good girl.”

“OK, that sounds weird,” she giggled.

“It does, doesn't it?” he laughed. “Sorry.”

“No problem. It just sounded like you're my dad or something, but I don't see you like that at all so it sounded weird to me.”

“How do you see me?” he asked.

“Like the best friend I ever had who happens to be older than me.”

“Works for me,” he smiled and he couldn't agree more, it was the perfect way to describe them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little something pops up...

**That One Night**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

**~ Halloween**

Merle was busy and so was Molly in the time between her birthday and the end of October. They lived essentially as roommates as she studied and took practice quizzes and he took a job with a contractor in the area rather than going away for work. He made supper every night, made sure she took her vitamins, and drove her to the clinic for doctor's appointments. They got along well and life just felt comfortable. Merle never argued with Molly about anything. She picked up after herself, helped out around the house, and didn't take his kindness for granted. Merle couldn't think of a single criticism and that was unusual for him, he didn't get along with many people in such close quarters.

“You're comin' along nicely there,” he said one morning, unsure how to compliment a pregnant woman. Now that she was 18 and visibly pregnant he didn't see her as much like a teenager and that helped. She was a woman now.

“Uh...thanks?”

“What am I supposed to say? You're getting rounder?” he laughed.

“Shut up!”

She wasn't mad though, she had a pretty good sense of humor and she wasn't as weepy as she was weeks before. Of course everyone in his neighborhood thought the kid was his but he couldn't care less what other people thought.

“You wanna go trick or treating?” he joked.

“No, but I could still use some chocolate,” she sighed, stretching out her legs on the couch and rubbing her belly. She had the laptop on her lap and was finishing up for the day.

“I'll make you something,” he offered and got up to get something started.

“You bake?”

“They're brownies out of a box. I can handle that kind of baking.”

“Merle?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it really OK that I'm still here?”

“You're a bit far along for finding a job and moving out, I think. Stay till after the baby comes and you get on your feet at least.”

“You haven't had a date this whole time though, I'm definitely cramping your style now.”

“I could get some if I wanted, I've just been busy.”

“Don't you need it?”

“I'm not an animal. I can manage.”

“I sure miss it,” she sighed.

“You ain't gettin' more pregnant than you already are,” he laughed. “You've had enough.”

“Shut up.”

“I'm just kidding.”

“Do you think someone will still want to be with me if I have a baby?”

“Why not? You're pretty and fun to be around. You gotta go for someone mature enough to not be a chicken shit about it though, not some teenager. He's gotta be dad material, not just some hot guy that makes you drool,” he chuckled. “Maybe a 23 or 24-year-old guy or something, someone with a good job.”

“That makes sense.”

She was taking what he said to heart and it showed maturity, he knew that she was going to be OK in the end and it made him happy. Molly would find a decent job, go to college, and meet a nice man to be a partner to her and a dad to her baby, he wanted her to have everything she deserved. In a short time, Molly had become a top priority for him.

“You need to find a woman who puts up with your country music and appreciates the way you look in your boxers since you live in them,” she joked.

“Hey!”

“You look good in your boxers, relax,” she smirked.

He rolled his eyes and continued on the brownies, adding eggs and oil to premixed powder was his level of cooking.

“I get to find out what sex the baby is at my next appointment.”

“What do you want? Oh wait! Let me guess. You're gonna say you don't care as long as it's healthy?” he teased. “All women say that.”

“Nah, I want a baby boy.”

“Yeah? Why? Boys are a pain in the ass,” he laughed.

“I think they're cute. I want to buy him toy cars and put him in baseball....”

She trailed off then and looked down at her lap.

“What's wrong?”

“I can't buy him anything...I have nothing to give a baby or even myself.”

“Hey. You're gonna be done school in no time and then you can get a job or get some community college training. You're gonna be fine, Molly.”

“You always know what to say.”

“I just want you to be happy. I know when you're young you worry about things and it's hard to picture it all working out, but I won't let you fall, OK?”

She couldn't help tearing up this time and he felt a little choked up himself. Merle couldn't help feeling that what he had with Molly was even better than having a girlfriend. He could just be himself with her and he wasn't lonely anymore. If he needed sex he could go out for a night and get laid but for some reason, the urge had left him lately.

He never saw Carly coming, he hadn't been looking at all.

/

Merle was in the waiting room of the clinic waiting for Molly to come out and tell him what the baby's gender was at her 20-week appointment in November when the secretary handed him a clipboard with some forms to fill out for payment.

“Thanks, you got a pen?”

“Sure.”

The woman with shoulder-length blonde hair handed him a pen from her pocket and waited there for a moment.

“Can I ask you something?”

“It's not my kid, we're just friends.”

“Oh...I was kinda wondering what your relationship status was, cause I was wondering if you're single.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“Why?”

“Cause I was hoping you'd ask me out...well?”

“Well what?” he answered, stunned at how forward she was.

“Aren't you going to ask me out?” she pressed.

Merle hated to be rude to a woman and decided that one date couldn't really hurt. He also wanted Molly to stop feeling guilty about 'cramping his style' so much.

“Uh...you wanna go out this Friday?”

“Sure thing,” she winked. “I'm Carly by the way.”

“Merle Dixon at your service.”

Carly wrote her number down and handed it to him with a grin as Molly walked out of the office.

“It's a boy!” she squealed.

“Just what you wanted!” he laughed.

In the truck on the way home, Molly noticed the paper sitting between them on the seat.

“What's this?”

“That secretary with the blonde hair gave me her number. She wanted me to ask her out.”

“That's a little forward, isn't it?” Molly noted.

“Definitely. I never had that happen before, but it's probably better if women are forward with me cause I'm a bonehead and I'd never figure out that they like me otherwise.”

“You gonna call her?”

Merle looked over at her with her ultrasound picture on her lap and was getting the strangest vibes.

“Do you not want me to?”

“No...it would be good for you. I'm happy for you,” she smiled.

“Are you mad?”

“No, of course not. I want you to be happy. She's really pretty.”

Merle still wasn't sure about it, but it had been a hell of a long time and he wouldn't mind having sex finally. Molly had been at his home for a long time and he hadn't so much as looked at a woman in all that time. He hadn't been looking for anyone but if this woman was wanting to fall into his lap who was he to say no?

In a perfect world, he'd be a younger man and ask Molly out, but it wasn't a perfect world. The world he lived in involved harsh facts like him being 18 years older than Molly and that she would surely rather have someone her own age.


	5. Chapter 5

**That One Night**

**Chapter 5**

“Wear the blue one,” Molly suggested from his bed, where she was lying back against his pillows and taking a break from algebra prep.

“Yeah?”

“Or the grey, yeah maybe the grey one.”

Merle pulled off the blue shirt and tried the grey one again and agreed that it looked better.

“Are you gonna sleep with her?” Molly asked.

“On the first date? I ain't that easy.”

She nodded and ran her hands down her round belly. She did this when she was deep in thought, like when she was studying for a quiz, as if the baby would provide her with the answers.

“He kickin' you today?” he asked.

She had let Merle feel the movement of the baby a few times and he thought it was pretty cool to feel a tiny person moving when it wasn't even born yet.

“He's moving a lot, and I just had tea so he's hyper.”

“You allowed to have tea?” he asked.

“I don't have more than one. Wanna feel it?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

He sat next to her on the bed and she squirmed around to get closer to him.

“Check this out,” she said then and pulled up her t-shirt and pushed down her maternity yoga pants a little to expose her belly.

“Damn that's round,” he joked.

“Shut up. Look.”

He watched for a moment and then observed a wave move over her belly from around her ribs to her navel.

“Holy shit! It's like an alien!” he laughed and lay his hand on her skin. “Be nice to mama you little peanut.”

“Peanut,” she smiled. “That's cute.”

“You getting excited?” he asked.

“I'm nervous. I hate hospitals.”

“It'll be OK. You're tougher than you think.”

She smiled and covered her belly up with a satisfied sigh.

“Maybe the baby could call me uncle or something?” he joked.

“I like that. You know...when you go off and get married to this secretary, I won't forget how good you were to me.”

“You think I'd ever forget about you now? I want you to stay a part of my life no matter what happens, Molly...I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“You sure you're not upset?”

“I'm sure. I want you to be so happy, you deserve that.”

“I only went along with it cause you were bugging me to date someone anyway,” he laughed.

“Wait, What?” she exclaimed.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she sighed.

/

Merle drove to Augusta and picked Carly up at her apartment at 8 pm. It was late November and Molly was 22 weeks pregnant. He was working in town doing contract work so that he could be home for her and he was planning a big surprise for her in the coming weeks. He wanted to make sure everything would be good with the baby before buying the things she needed. If for some reason she lost it he didn't want the house being littered with baby things. Now that she had the 20-week ultrasound and everything looked fine he decided it was finally time to buy a crib.

Carly looked pretty and she leaned in to hug him as she grabbed her purse and they walked out to his truck.

“You know, all the girls in the office keep talking about how sweet you are.”

“Why is that?” he laughed.

“Well, at first we thought you might be a creep who got a young girl pregnant but Molly told us all that it's not yours and that she didn't even know you until a few months ago. Now they all think you're a hell of a catch.”

“Women are funny creatures,” he joked.

“I think it's really good of you to be helping her out like this...how long is she going to stay with you though?”

“No idea. She's finishing her GED and then she has to find a job before she moves out. I don't want her ending up with some shithead just to pay the bills. I want her to stay until she can be more independent.”

“You're something else,” she smiled. “She was lucky to find you.”

“I like having her around. It's like having a cool roommate you actually get along with.”

“Isn't she more like your daughter?”

“I don't think of her like that. She's younger than me but she doesn't act like a kid. She works her ass off getting her work done and helps out around the house. Best roommate I ever had.”

“But you're supporting her.”

“I don't mind supporting her...anyway, what movie are we seeing?”

“The Shape of Water, it's supposed to be really romantic,” she grinned and slithered up next to him.

“Cool.”

He didn't want to talk to her anymore about Molly cause Carly clearly didn't get it, nobody seemed to. Merle wasn't about to explain his life choices to a stranger. He liked being with Molly and it wasn't some fucked up daddy/daughter thing and he didn't owe anyone answers about that.

The movie was weird but interesting, and after Merle took Carly for a drink where she regaled him with accounts from the office of different patients she dealt with. It was surely a violation of confidentiality and he looked around praying that nobody would recognize who she was speaking about as he nodded randomly here and there and chuckled at the appropriate places. He felt odd about Carly and didn't know if he wanted to go out with her again. He kissed her at the door and it was all fine, but as he drove home he still wasn't sure.

/

Molly was up when he got back and struggling with some trigonometry.

“How was your date? Did you get lucky?” she asked as soon as he sat down.

“Nope.”

“Did you want to?” she pressed.

“Nope.”

“What's wrong? Don't you like her?”

“She's OK, but I just wasn't feeling it.”

“Are you seeing her again?”

“Maybe. You feeling OK?”

“Yeah, just stuck on this crap,” she sighed.

“Lemme have a look.”

Merle scanned over her math and then looked at her notes. He explained what she was stuck on and erased part of her answer to correct it.

“That make sense?” he asked.

“Yes. Thanks, I was gonna end up stuck on that all damn night.”

“No problem.”

“Why are you so good at math?”

“I flunked out in high school and then I had to go back to upgrade in my 20s for a better job. I got a good tutor and she explained it in English to me. In high school I just didn't get how my teacher explained it and I was a bit of a shithead back then too so I wasn't paying enough attention.”

“What did you look like in high school?” she grinned.

“Jesus! I think I got a picture. Just a sec.”

He pulled out an album from the TV stand and turned to his grad picture where he was standing next to a girl in a red dress. It was a cheesy picture taken in a high school gym. His hair was longer and curly and he looked dazed and confused back then.

“Lost my virginity that night?” he laughed.

“Lucky girl,” she noted.

“Nah, it was pretty much over before it started. I think she felt sorry for me.”

“I bet you know what you're doing now,” she winked.

“Let's hope so, I'm almost 40. I don't do so bad I guess. Don't hear any complaints.”

“Would you have asked me out if I was your age in high school?” she asked.

The question threw him for a loop but he thought about it for a moment and answered honestly anyway.

“I was clueless in high school, shy and awkward looking...I would have loved to date a girl like you in high school. There's no way you would have looked at me twice but I would have asked you out in a heartbeat if I thought you'd say yes.”

“Shame we don't have a time machine,” she answered with a sad-looking smile.

“It is a shame,” he agreed. “We coulda been perfect for each other I bet, I don't get along with anyone like I do with you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slow burn....just be warned there is a reason it's 10 chapters long. It takes all 10 chapters. SORRY  
> Love, Teagan xoxo

**That One Night**

**Chapter 6**

**~ December**

The crib Merle wanted for Molly had to be ordered in so he left the baby gifts until Christmas since it was so close anyway. He was still seeing Carly once in a while but it wasn't really going anywhere. He hadn't even slept with her yet. A couple of awkward make-out sessions in her car was all he had to show for it and for some reason it did little or nothing for him, he felt like an asshole about it cause there wasn't anything technically wrong with Carly.

Molly had been hiding a gift up in the loft for him since early December and he wondered what the hell she was going to give him with no money of her own.

All through December, they watched Christmas movies and once he took her for a drive through Augusta just to look at Christmas lights. She mentioned that she used to do that when her dad was alive. She liked gingerbread, so they made some. Merle liked playing loud country versions of Christmas songs so they listened to those. All in all it was a perfect December.

Merle went to Daryl and Carol's around Christmas time and wanted Molly to come along but she refused. She said she felt awkward around his family like she was intruding.

“You're as close as family to me, Molly. I wish you'd change your mind.”

“It's OK. You have a good visit and I'll see you when you get home. I think I'm just gonna do some writing.”

“Writing?”

“Yeah, it's just dumb. I like to write poems and stories and stuff.”

“You never told me that,” he smiled.

“I don't usually bother telling people cause they always ask to read it and then I'm too shy.”

“You won't even let me read your poems?” he pouted to make her laugh.

“Maybe someday.”

“Alright, I'll be waiting.”

/

When Christmas Eve came, he had to wait until she went to bed to put the crib and change table together but it was worth it to stay up until 3 am just to see her face in the morning. He lay baby clothes, bottles, diapers, and assorted baby items all over the loft and left a trail of blue balloons to the living room where the crib and change table were constructed in front of the tree.

“Merle...”

She wept buckets on the couch and he had to hold onto her for ages before she calmed down.

“I can't believe you did this...I just can't believe it.”

“I was happy to, honey. I keep telling you how much you mean to me. Do you believe me yet?”

“You mean everything to me, Merle...everything.”

She clung to him for a long time until it just turned into an hour of cuddling on the couch and it probably shouldn't have felt so right to him, but it did.

Christmas was perfect. Apparently, she had saved $60 of the hundred he gave her for her birthday and bought him a really nice engraved whiskey flask.

_To the man who turned my life around. Love, Molly xo_

“How did you manage to get this?” he asked.

“At my last appointment when I went to pick up lotion at the store nearby, I was actually picking up this for you.”

“This is so nice, Molly. Thank you.”

Together Merle and Molly managed to make a turkey dinner and ate in his little kitchen by candlelight. Carly was away for Christmas, they hadn't been seeing each other long enough to spend Christmas together quite yet. She had bought him an itchy wool sweater that he knew he'd never wear and he gave her a pair of leather gloves from one of those kiosks in the mall.

Christmas dinner came out pretty well and they ate apple pie in front of the TV that evening feeling like the new year was going to be a doozy. The baby was due at the end of March and neither of them knew where they'd be next Christmas.

“How are things with Carly?” she asked toward the end of the evening when he was starting to get good and plastered on the good scotch he only drank at Christmas.

He shrugged and pulled a face.

“I don't know.”

“Are you two...”

“Nope. I don't think we're going to either. She's not really my type after all.”

“What is your type?” Molly asked.

“I don't even know anymore. I meet women and they seem nice and pretty but then we don't connect and we have nothing to talk about and I can't be myself around them. I'm thinking I'm better off single anyway. I'm already 36 so it's a bit late for me starting a family or anything.”

“You talk about 36 like you have one foot in the grave, Merle. You're not that old at all.”

“I guess I'm just thinking in comparison to you. I remember being 18 and I was such a chucklehead. You're so much more intelligent than I was then.”

“You think?”

“Hell yeah. I can talk to you about all kinds of stuff. When I was your age all I cared about was cars and beer and chasing girls.”

“I should be just having fun at my age but I'm gonna be a mom soon...I still can't get used to the sound of that.”

“It'll come natural when he gets here. You'll just know what to do when your instincts kick in and it'll be great.”

“I hope so.”

“I know so. I told ya, I ain't gonna let you fall.”

“I didn't think I'd ever have a nice Christmas again like this, it's been years.”

“Glad you liked it, honey. I tried.

/

In the new year, Merle decided to work a little more to make some extra money for the baby coming and began to wonder what was really happening between him and Molly. He found that he had no interest in anything serious with Carly and couldn't really figure out why. Molly was convinced that it was her fault that things weren't going anywhere with Carly no matter how many times he told her otherwise. On top of everything, Daryl was still questioning his decisions every time they hung out.

“When is she moving out?” Daryl asked one day as Merle was working out in the driveway on his truck. Molly was inside working on school stuff and Merle could feel this conversation coming for a while.

“I don't see why she has to.”

“Cause it's weird, Merle. If you two are a thing just say so.”

“We aren't.”

“Then what the hell is this. You're spending all this money on a girl you barely know for literally no reason.”

He could hear the frustration in his brother's voice and part of him wanted to tell him that it was his money and he'd spend it how he liked but it wasn't worth the fight.

“I like her being here, I'm happy to help her out and before you ask she ain't taking advantage of me. We're good friends and I just like everything how it is. When the baby comes and she gets a job I'm sure she'll meet someone and that'll be that. She'll leave soon enough when she's ready.”

“OK.”

“Trust me, OK? I'm not getting hurt by this.”

“I hope not, I don't see this ending well for you.”

“You're paranoid.”

Merle was getting annoyed with everyone voicing their opinions. Carly continued to mention how strange it was from time to time and Merle was getting sick of it all. He was happy with Molly and couldn't help wondering if maybe there was something more to that feeling. He wondered about society and age and all kinds of things until he felt dizzy. All he knew for sure is that when he was with Molly nothing else seemed to matter.


	7. Chapter 7

**That One Night**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

  
Merle didn't feel right about bringing Carly over, but one evening after a date she couldn't find her keys to her apartment and he was forced to. He was planning to end things, but Carly was very emotional and every time he mentioned that maybe they didn't have anything in common she looked like she might cry or something. Molly was stretched out on the couch when he arrived home at 10 pm with Carly.

“Hey, sorry I didn't call. Carly got locked out so I think she'll have to crash.”

“Oh, hi,” Molly nodded. “I'll get out of your way. Nice to see you again, Carly.”

“Nice to see you too,” Carly answered and Molly gathered up all her books to head up to the loft.

“You don't have to run off, honey.”

“It's all good. I'm feeling pretty tired anyway. Talk to you in the morning,” she insisted.

Merle pulled off his coat and figured this would be the night he and Carly would finally fuck.

How do you have a woman in your bed all night and just cuddle? Was that even a thing?

He grabbed a beer from the fridge and offered one to Carly and hoped they could just chat for a while.

“I'm pretty tired myself tonight,” he mentioned.

“Poor guy,” Carly purred, slithering up to him on the couch. “It's tough being a single father, huh?”

He didn't like the joke, he didn't like her sense of humor where Molly was concerned at all.

“It ain't tough being around Molly, she's an adult, more of a roommate and friend than anything.”

“Roommates pay rent, Merle.”

“I asked her to be here...”

He could see it turning into another conversation revolving around Molly and he couldn't see why everyone cared so much who he lived with.

“Let's talk about something else,” he suggested.

“Good idea, cause I'll never understand it.”

“Probably not,” he sighed.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

“You think I'm stupid or something?” she said in a raised voice that surprised him.

“I never said that.”

“If I'm too stupid to understand you living with a kid for no reason then maybe I'd rather be stupid,” she huffed.

“Why do you care who I live with? I thought me being nice to Molly was why you liked me in the first place!” he grumbled.

“I didn't think she'd still be here...this is more than help, Merle. This is getting weird.”

“Keep it down, she's gonna hear you,” he said in a hushed voice.

“I don't care. She's taking you for a ride, Merle, and someone should get it through your head. You even said your brother doesn't get it either.”

Merle got up and began to pace the kitchen floor, he was livid and done with her but needed to think how to end it. He was not the type of man to be told what to do with his own life. Nobody was worth losing his freedom for.

“Listen...this ain't working out, Carly.”

“You got that right. Call me a cab. I'm fucking outta here.”

“Done.”

Merle called a cab and Carly waited out on the driveway. He rolled his eyes, grabbed another beer and listened to hear if Molly was still up. It sounded like the shower was running and he was glad for that, he hoped like hell that she hadn't heard the fight they had. Molly was already blaming herself for things not going well with Carly.

He really was tired and annoyed so he turned in soon after, eager to start another sweet day back as a single man.

/

Morning came and Merle rolled out of bed with a groan and a need for strong coffee. He wandered out to the kitchen and grabbed his coffee cup and something felt different but he couldn't say what it was at first.

“Molly! You wanna coffee?”

He began to whistle and inhaled the scent of fresh coffee brewing as he took a look out the window at his fence. The backyard was going to be great in the summer, he might even buy a hammock to relax in. Merle loved being home now.

“Molly! You deaf, girl?” he hollered up the stairs and then looked at the clock on his microwave to find that it was already close to 10 am. Molly was normally up and going for the day by now.

“Molly?”

Merle looked at the door and noticed her shoes were gone first and then raced up the stairs to find the bed made and that many of her things weren't there anymore. There was a note taped to the bathroom door though, and he didn't want to read it.

_T here's no pretending anymore that I'm not ruining your life. I chased away your girlfriend just by being here and you don't deserve that. You did such a good thing by helping me and I'm so grateful for that but I don't want to be a burden to you anymore. Love, Molly_

“God damn it!” he barked and headed downstairs to get dressed.

Merle was in his truck and headed down the highway in less than 10 minutes scouring the ditches for her. He wondered what the hell she was thinking and then remembered that she was 18, of course she was still impulsive. He just prayed that she had waited till morning to leave and that she wasn't already 8 hours ahead of him...and then there she was.

Merle growled in frustration and came skidding to the shoulder leaving a cloud of dust around his truck. His emotions took over at the sight of her trudging through the ditch pregnant with a backpack on her back.

“Hey! Where the hell are you going?” he hollered at her when she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of his truck.

“Merle...I just can't do this anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” he demanded.

Merle hated to raise his voice at her but he was hurt and angry and in only the half-hour she'd been missing he imagined all kinds of horrible things happening to her.

“You shouldn’t throw away a chance at happiness just for some girl you found in a ditch,” she answered.  
“Who the hell said I wasn’t already happy? You think I see you as just some girl? Is that how you see me? Am I just some guy who picked you up that one night?”  
“Of course not!”  
“Then how can you walk away from me this easily? Do I mean anything to you at all?” he shot back. “How could you do this to me? I was worried sick thinking something happened to you or that I wouldn't even be able to find you!”

The pain was more than he expected and it came out as anger that he didn't intend, but she had stunned him by just leaving so coldly. After all the time they spent together he felt he was owed more than that.  
“You mean so much to me that I can’t take how good you are to me sometimes! I don’t even know how to process it!” she explained. “My dad was the only person who treated me right in my whole life and you're even nicer to me than he was. I felt so worthless on the night we met, it's hard to think I deserve anything you did for me.”  
“Tell me the truth...are you escaping me or something? Am I smothering you? Cause I’m not trying to,” he said softly.  
“I’m not trying to escape you, Merle, I’m trying to free you from me.”  
“I don’t wanna be free, Molly. I’m happy with you.”

She just stood there and he could tell that she didn't know what to say. It was clear that nobody had ever chased her down, expressed so much distress at her absence, or proclaimed their feelings this way.

“Come on home,” he stated plainly.

“I ruined everything for you, Merle...I heard what Carly said.”

“I couldn't care less what happens with her. I told you I wasn't that into it. Did you see me chasing her out the door?” he pressed.

“No...but still, what if you were into it? I'll just keep screwing it up for you.”

“I'm not interested in anyone who can't understand why I want you with me. I got no time for someone who can't get it through their head that you mean a hell of a lot to me. Nobody gets that I just care about you and I want to help you out and I couldn't give a fuck about what other people think, Molly.”

She just lowered her head then and cried and he could feel it, he was never going to stop caring about her as long as he lived. It was about damn time that someone treated her like she mattered and it was going to be him.

“Are you sure?” she asked through her tears

“I've never been more sure of anything,” he answered. “Just come home.”

When they got into the truck, he just looked at her and had to pull her close. He reached over and pulled her into a bear hug that could have lasted all day.

“Please, don't do that to me again. If you ever want to leave me, don't do it like this...I can't take you just disappearing,” he begged.

“I'm sorry, Merle. I didn't mean to fuck this up.”

“It's all OK now, but you need to trust me when I say that I don't want you to go. Don't go doing something dangerous like this, honey. If you ever want to leave me just don't do it like this.”

“I won't...I promise. I'm so sorry,” she wept.

“It's OK, honey...shhh...it's OK now.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll post more tonight or tomorrow.   
> Thanks for reading! Teagan xoxo

**That One Night**

**Chapter 8** ****

* * *

Molly worked her ass off preparing to take her GED exam and by March 1st she was ready. Merle quizzed her for the whole last week of February and he knew she'd ace it. He drove her to Augusta and waited outside with bated breath as she walked into a large room with rows of desks where other young people were trying to make up for lost time. She looked so small to him then and he was so proud of her. She wasn't a kid, she was a young woman reclaiming her life.

/

Molly passed as he knew she would and Merle took her for a fancy dinner in the city to celebrate.

“Nothing can stop you, honey. Just remember that. Having a baby ain't something to stop you, it's something to push you to want more.”

“I couldn't have done this without you, Merle.”

“What are friends for?” he shrugged.

“I never had a friend like you, Merle.”

“It's all good,” he smiled. “Eat up, Peanut is probably hungry after all that study stress.”

“Amen to that,” she laughed.

They ate till they were stuffed, caught a late movie and returned home around midnight. Merle couldn't remember spending a better evening with a woman and cursed that they were so far apart in age. Being with Molly made him feel alive in a way he didn't with other people. There was no judgment between them, no arguments and no stress. Merle was the best and most contented version of himself when she was around and he was terrified of the day that she wouldn't be.

/

Merle worked a lot of overtime as a contractor over the winter and had become friendly with a younger guy who was a plumber's apprentice. They were all working on a housing development in Augusta for months and become close. Merle had been in the city with Molly an a lazy Saturday afternoon when they ran into him and he stopped to chat.

“Hey, Merle! How goes it?” he smiled.

“Not bad, and you?”

“Tony, this is my friend, Molly.”

“Hey.”

“Hi,” she nodded.

“I'm just grabbing a bite after an interview. You two eaten yet?”

“Nope. You hungry, honey?”

“I could eat,” she smiled.

They met up at a nearby BBQ restaurant and Merle could tell that she felt a little strange meeting someone new after being so comfortable in her bubble of hanging out with Merle and finishing her GED.

“I hear you just graduated. Congrats!” Tony offered as they settled into a booth.

“It was just my GED,” she shrugged.

“I got my GED too. I dropped out and then went back for it. I ended up stumbling into an apprenticeship thankfully.”

“What are you training for again?” she asked.

“Gonna be a plumber, like Super Mario,” he laughed.

Molly chuckled too, but Merle wasn't familiar with Super Mario and didn't get the joke.

Merle couldn't help noticing Tony was treating Molly like a completely normal young woman, he wasn't being all weird about her being pregnant and even spoke to her about it really casually.

“When is the little one coming?” he asked.

“By the end of the month.”

“And it's gonna be a boy?”

“Yep.”

“My sister had a baby at 18 too, and she's the cutest.”

Tony pulled out his phone to show her some pictures and Merle almost regretted agreeing to meet Tony for lunch...they were getting along perfectly.

“Awwww! She's adorable.”

“I get to be Uncle Tony and spoil her rotten,” he joked.

“My little one won't really have any family.”

“Family is what you make it, and you have Merle,” Tony noted.

“True. I don't know what I would have done without his help.”

“It's nothing,” Merle noted and then ordered a second beer.

Merle knew this could be just what Molly needed but it was killing the ridiculous side of him that still wished they were the same age. He observed them laughing together and presumed that he'd be losing her soon. He would be alone again and eventually he'd be just that guy she used to know.

/

When they had finished the meal and were finally headed back out to the lake he wasted no time addressing the elephant in the truck.

“So?” he asked.

“So?” she laughed.

“What do you think of him?”

“Tony? He's nice. He reminds me of my cousin, Mark. Haven't seen my cousin in probably 4 years though. Everyone stopped coming around when my mom met Vince and fell off the deep end.”

“He reminds you of your cousin?” Merle asked.

“Yeah, you know...maybe I could try to contact him someday. Mark was one of the few people I did like in my family. His dad is my dad's brother. They live in Tennessee but still I could maybe call them. I didn't even think of that.”

“I thought that maybe you and Tony...”

“What?”

“I thought you two might make a good couple or something.”

“Do you want me to be with him?”

“I just thought you might like each other. You looked like you were hitting it off.”

“He's nice, but he looks a lot like my cousin,” she laughed. “Not sure I could go there. Besides, I'm not looking for anyone at the moment.”

Merle nodded and didn't really know what to say. He could understand that with the baby coming she probably wasn't interested so much in dating, but he wanted to see her happy with someone who could help provide for her. Molly was capable and hard-working but it would take the pressure off to have two parents for her baby.

“I understand...later when you're ready you'll find someone.”

“Maybe I don't need anyone,” she said softly. “Maybe I already have everyone I need.”

“Of course...I didn't mean anything by it. A single mother can do just as good a job as a couple. I just meant that it could help take off the pressure a little. I know you and the baby will be fine either way.”

“That's not really what I meant.”

“Huh?”

The phone rang then and he said he'd be right back. Merle hoped he hadn't stepped on her toes too much. He wasn't trying to give her the impression that she couldn't do it alone. He just didn't want her to be lonely.


	9. Chapter 9

**That One Night**

**Chapter 9**

_~ March 22_

* * *

Merle could tell that Molly was annoyed and sick and tired of being pregnant. Everything was going well with her health and the doctor had said, “any day now!” at her last appointment.

The house was baby ready and Merle had moved Molly downstairs to be closer to the living room and kitchen to tend to the baby and moved himself up to the loft. He figured she might not want to manage stairs when she got home from the hospital. He almost dreaded the baby coming, it would mean she would be one step closer to leaving him. She would need time to recover and get herself together but then she'd probably be looking for work or doing some online college courses and leaving him.

Merle was just getting in the door from work when he found her doubled over in the kitchen timing contractions and grimacing in pain.

“Molly! Why didn't you call me?” he exclaimed.

“It only just started a few minutes ago...but they're close.”

“How close?”

“Five minutes.”

“Got your bag packed?”

“Yeah...”

He hustled to her room to grab her overnight bag and helped her out to the car. The trip to Augusta felt longer than the 40 minutes it really was and more than once he wondered if he'd have to pull over for her to give birth right on the spot, but thankfully they made it in time.

He pushed her up to the maternity ward in a wheelchair and got her checked in to a room. He worried that she'd be safe and healthy when it was over and went to a waiting room while she got changed into a gown and an IV put in. He called Daryl, who still thought he was crazy, but also offered her his best wishes.

“I can't believe it's finally happening. I'm fuckin' terrified,” he sighed.

“Merle...”

“Yeah?”

“I warned you about this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You've gone and fallen for this girl.”

Merle was about to argue but couldn't quite muster the lie.

“Yeah...I guess I did.”

“This is gonna leave you hurt, Merle. She's 18. She needs someone her own age.”

“You think you're telling me anything I don't know?”

“She's not going to settle with a man who's almost 40. It's just the way things are.”

“I know. You were right.”

A nurse came and asked him then if his name was Merle Dixon.

“That's me. Daryl, I gotta go.”

“Talk to you later. Tell her good luck anyway.”

Merle stood up and approached the nurse to see what the problem was.

“Is she OK?”

“She's fine but she's on her own in labor and she mentioned that she had a friend here. Did you want to maybe come talk to her and calm her down a little? The ward is busy today and we can't spare a nurse to give her the attention she needs. She's scared.”

“Yeah, no problem. I just presumed she wouldn't want me there.”

“She asked for you right away but I couldn't find you.”

/

Merle kept her distracted as much as he could. He hated to see her in pain and encouraged her not to be a hero and get some pain relief but she was scared of the epidural.

“It'll help, honey. It'll be worth it.”

She did manage to feel better soon after agreeing that an epidural was probably a good idea. It took hours and they wouldn't allow her to eat in case she needed a c section so Merle refused to eat as well. Progress went steady but even so it was approaching dawn before she was ready to push.

“Good luck, honey. You're gonna be fine. The doctor's gonna take good care of you, OK?” he said, bending down to kiss her forehead before leaving.

“You're leaving me now?” she exclaimed.

“Molly...I shouldn't be here for this.”

“I'm scared out of my fucking mind and you're just running away?” she almost sobbed.

“I'm not running away! I'll stay if you want me to I just didn't think you'd want me to,” he explained.

“I'm sorry,” she wept. “I just don't think I can do this.”

“Of course you can. You're a hell of a lot stronger than you think, Molly.”

Merle held her hand and struggled not to pass out as he listened to the horror of childbirth. It would be a cold day in hell before he watch the baby actually being born, blood made him faint, but he held her hand and told her she was doing great until it was finally over.

/

The baby was gorgeous and a healthy 6 pounds. Merle held him as she was cared for afterward and beamed with pride. It wasn't his baby but he still felt so connected to him somehow. It was surely due to the undeniable feelings he had for Molly now. She was so young and yet so committed and so strong. He admired her more than he could express.

When the room was finally quiet and she was laying there drained but happy, he handed her the baby and stepped back just to take it in. For the first time in years, he shed a tear of happiness. Molly looked so right holding her son and he knew the memory of that moment would be in his head forever.

“Merle...as soon as I get working, I'll pay you back. It might take me years but I'll pay you for everything when I can.”

He shook his head and was almost upset with her for bringing up something so impersonal at such a beautiful moment.

“Molly, I won't take a single penny from you now or ever and don't you bring it up again.”

“But-”

“I said don't. Being with you was never a favor I expected to be paid for...it's been my pleasure.”

“You can't be real.”

“Still don't believe me?” he smiled.

“Merle...thank you.”

“You did so good. He's beautiful.”

“He really is,” she grinned.

“What did you settle on for a name?”

“Wyatt Merle Rigby.”

“What?”

“Don't argue,” she stated plainly and something in her eyes convinced him to let it be.

/

Molly stayed in for only 2 days and was on her feet again quickly after that. Merle wanted to help her around the house a lot but within days it was as if she hadn't just given birth.

“You sure bounce back quickly,” he noted.

“I'm still tired and sore, but it feels better to be moving than sitting down.”

“You must be superwoman or something,” he laughed.

“Can you hang onto him while I have a shower though? He cries when nobody is holding him.”

“No problem.”

Merle took the swaddled little one from her and she went off to get cleaned up for the day. Sunlight was spilling in through the window and he looked down at the peaceful infant in his arms and felt so much love for him and so much love for Molly that he could hardly contain it. Daryl was right, he was an idiot. He had been telling himself for months that she was a roommate, a friend and nothing more. To her, it was surely that way, but in Merle's mind and heart she was so much more. He was no longer the master of his emotions.

“You've got a really special mama, you know that, Peanut?” he said to the babe in his arms. “When you two leave me, don't give her too much trouble, OK? There's nobody like your mother...nobody.”

The baby squirmed and Merle moved him to his shoulder and rocked him a little.

“Yep, your mama is about as good as women get and just between you and me...I love her like crazy.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting the last chapter tomorrow. Having a rough day today. 
> 
> Includes lyrics by Tracey Chapman - For You

Tracey Chapman - For You

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ypZMGNoN7g>

* * *

**That One Night**

**Chapter 9**

Wyatt was a screamer and more than once they found themselves at 3 am not knowing what he wanted. Merle would often take him for a ride in the truck just to let her rest and he'd play him some good old country to calm him down: Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard. The boy needed to start life off right with good exposure to music. After a month, the baby settled into nursing properly and finally had a sleep routine. Merle loved it, even with the late nights and exhaustion, he loved every minute of it.

Seeing Molly as a new mother fed his spirit. She loved her son in a way he'd never seen first hand. Her every move from the moment he met her was for his benefit, finishing her GED and reading up on parenting. She was a young woman with all the right priorities.

At the end of April, he was surprised to hear her on the phone with her Uncle in Tennessee one evening just before bed. Merle was holding Wyatt and pretending not to listen from the kitchen.

“I've been here for months...yeah, I just couldn't deal with her and Vince anymore...really?...I'll think about it, I don't really have any way to get to Tennessee at the moment but-”

Merle's heart skipped and he listened even closer.

“I'm not sure what I'd want to take in college yet...I wouldn't want to take up your space though and with Wyatt, he's kind of vocal...I will definitely think about it. Thanks so much for the offer...yeah, I'll call you in a few days....I love you too.”

Merle didn't want to pester her but he had to ask.

“Are you thinking of moving there?” he asked.

“I doubt it. I just didn't want to be rude when he asked. I mean, as long as you're sure I can stay still.”

“Of course you can...Molly-”

She smiled at him then as he held Wyatt on his shoulder, the poor kid fussy from a relentless case of hiccups.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Can I be really honest with you without freaking you out?” he began. “I just feel like I'm gonna go crazy if I don't talk to you about some stuff soon.”

“What do you mean?” she frowned in confusion.

Merle took a deep breath, patted Wyatt's back a few times and moved him to the other shoulder for a minute before he started. It was now or never, he couldn't let another day pass without telling her the truth.

“I didn't mean to, and I tried to fight it by dating Carly and having Daryl talk sense to me, but I fell for you anyway...and now I can't stop the way I feel about you, Molly.”

“Merle...”

“Please don't freak out or anything. If this is weird for you just say so and I'll never mention it again, but I had to say it out loud to you just once...just on the off chance that maybe you feel something for me too.”

“You love me?” she smiled.

“Molly, I think I've loved you all along and I'll never stop as long as I live. I know it's not right and I'm too old for you, but I wanna be with you so bad it's killing me a little more every day.”

“Just a second,” she smiled and walked to her room.

She was carrying a notebook when she returned and began to flip through the pages until she landed on a page with a poem written faintly in pencil.

_No words to say  
No words to convey  
This feeling inside I have for you  
  
Deep in my heart  
Safe from the guards  
Of intellect and reason  
Leaving me at a loss  
For words to express my feelings  
  
Deep in my heart  
Look at me losing control  
Thinking I had a hold  
But with feelings this strong  
I'm no longer the master  
Of my emotions_

  
  


He read the words over and over and then looked up at her, completely baffled.

“It's about you,” she said.

“Jesus...really?”

“Yeah...I write a lot of poems about you cause I haven't been able to tell you how I feel either. Sometimes I thought maybe you were just too kind to tell me to get lost.”

“How could you think that?” he exclaimed.

“It's easy to think things like that in dark moments when even your mother doesn't want you in the house. I thought you saw me as a kid...I never would have dreamed that you could see me as someone you wanted to be with.”

“I did see you as a kid at first, but in spirit, you're much older than 18. You're young, but you're a woman now and an excellent mother. You and Wyatt are all I want in this life.”

She took a few steps toward him and snuggled her face into his neck, wrapping her arms around him and Wyatt in one big hug.

“I'll be good to you as long as I live, Molly. Lemme take care of you.”

“I wanna take care of you too,” she whispered.

Molly raised up on her toes then to kiss him and it hit him hard that after so many months, she was actually going to be his. He didn't know his heart could beat so fast as her lips touched his. The baby squirmed again in his arms as if he knew something big was going on and they settled back into another long hug that had no urgency to end.

They were both a little overcome and wept happy tears as they held onto the baby and he couldn't wait to be alone with her. He was eager to know that it could work between them intimately. A little part of him was still afraid that she might not be as comfortable with a man his age as she thought. He was no seventeen year old like the one boy she'd been with. Merle was afraid to make her uncomfortable or scare her in any way.

“I'm gonna lay Wyatt down,” she whispered into his ear, “and then maybe I could meet you up in the loft.”

“You really want to?” he asked.

“My doctor gave me the green light a couple of days ago. I think it's about time we give this a real shot, don't you?”

“Jesus...” he sighed.

The way she giggled and kissed his cheek then made him feel like it would be OK and he couldn't wait to put the baby to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Night Like This**

**<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS8Kn7CDsjA> **

**That One Night**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Molly took Wyatt from Merle and suggested he go up and get comfortable while she put the baby to bed. Upstairs he jumped into the shower quickly and got cleaned up, just the idea of her sleeping next to him was exciting but it sounded like she had much more in mind.

When he got out he pulled on some boxers and peered over the rail down onto the lower level to see her pacing with Wyatt and he could tell the little guy was out like a light now. Soon she'd lay him down and then they'd be all alone. It was by no means the first time they'd been alone but now everything was different.

Merle crawled beneath the covers and looked up through the skylight at the stars, feeling small and full of wonder for the first time in years. When he heard the sound of her footsteps on the stairs it made his heart begin to thump in his chest, he didn't know whether to get up or stay put, it was agony.

She reached the loft and smiled at him sweetly. Standing there in only a t-shirt and a pair of panties, she looked stunning. He couldn't fathom how she recovered so quickly from having a baby but perhaps it was her age. She stopped bleeding after only 21 days and was taking Wyatt for walks in the stroller almost immediately, it seemed she was unstoppable.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey.”

She walked toward the bed and in a heartbeat, she was under the covers with him so close that he could feel her bare legs against his own.

“You're so cold,” she shuddered and began to rub her feet against his.

“You're nice and warm,” he commented, unsure what else to say.

Molly wrapped her arm around him and he could really feel how much smaller she was than him. He rolled toward her and just like it was completely natural she pulled her leg up around his hip and pulled him in closer.

“I need you to promise me something,” he began.

“Anything.”

“You need to tell me if this gets weird. I'll understand if maybe my age makes this weird for you after all.”

She giggled then and he wondered what he said that was so funny.

“Merle, I've been having some pretty naughty thoughts about you for a while now. Trust me, I'm more than comfortable with this idea. I wish I'd known that you felt this way sooner. I just couldn't read you at all and then you started seeing Carly and I was sure this would never happen.”

“Guess we both misread the signals,” he noted laying his hand on her upper arm and leaning in to kiss her neck.

Her long hair was all pulled back off her shoulders and he could feel her pulse racing beneath his lips as he lay his mouth on her throat. She was clearly as excited as he was. A little whimper left her throat and he knew that he'd never need anyone the way he needed her. She was right there all this time and the way he fell was so gradual but so rock solid that nobody else would ever cut it now. Molly was everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So much had happened, she had changed so much since she met him. Molly lay back in his bed and wondered how she'd gotten so lucky after so much misfortune in her life. She couldn't help thinking of how close she'd been to not even getting in his truck in the first place. Molly was sure he was going to kill her and throw her in a ditch. Her mother would always say things like that, “Go wandering the streets and you'll get chopped into pieces and thrown in a ditch!”

She was so happy now that she took that chance. Her baby had a fighting chance now and she had found the love of her life.

Merle's big strong hands moved down her waist and he gripped her there for a moment. He was so sexy, everything he did lately drove her crazy with need. The pregnancy hormones had been making her insane with jealousy over Carly, almost ready to kill, but she couldn't say anything about it since she thought it's what he wanted. Now he was hers and all over her, over her and touching her.

Never in a million years did she think she'd have him between her thighs and licking at her throat but here he was. Her dream had come true.

Merle had always been so kind and considerate of her and he was no different in bed, but there was still fire. He wasn't begging her permission every time he did something new, but he was taking it slow and checking her reactions for signs that she wasn't into it.

Finally, his hand moved under her t-shirt and she had the nightmarish realization that she couldn't take off her bra which was stuffed with nursing pads, he would end up getting soaked. She rolled her eyes at the inconvenience and decided they'd have to give this a go in the shower next time.

“Merle...I have to keep my bra on cause-”

“It's all good, honey. Maybe I could try lower down then?” he grinned.

“You're evil hot, you know that?” she moaned.

“You're sexy as all hell, honey and I'm gonna try my best to make you cum.”

“I doubt you'll have any trouble, it's been a million years.”

He held her by the waist and slid his warm tongue all the way from her navel to her thighs and she grasped for handfuls of his bedsheets to stop herself from floating away. He kissed her lips then and it was so slow and so gentle that she couldn't see straight. The need for him was off the charts.

“Tell me you're my man,” she groaned.

“All yours, honey...forever.”

He licked like a whisper between her folds then and she hissed with an aching inside to be filled like she didn't think possible.

“You have to fuck me,” she whined, but he informed her that he wasn't close to finished with her yet.

His fingertips moved slowly up the sides of her clit and then back down to her vagina where he teased her with a half-inch of penetration that made her sob with desperation.

“Jesus...please...” she panted.

“Soon.”

He ran his tongue in a lazy circle up one side of her labia and down the other, not touching her clit, just trailing around it like he had no idea it even existed but she knew damn well that Merle Dixon was an expert of the female anatomy. When he finally closed his soft wet lips over her womanhood it was all-encompassing and she could see stars behind her eyelids.

“Oh fuck...oh my God...”

The first waves of pleasure began to break the shore and she needed to run into the surf at full force.

Pulling his head in close, he gripped her hips tight and moved his head slowly back and forth trailing his soft tongue over every inch of her pussy, back and forth in a steady sleepy rhythm drinking her in and driving her out of her mind.

“Mmmmm....oh, Merle! Please take me...please, baby.”

/

He loved her calling him baby, absolutely loved it.

She pulled him over her then and snaked her hand down between their bodies to jerk him off within an inch of his life with her little saliva covered hand. So wet, so warm, and just the right pace. He felt her soft thighs on either side of his hips and needed to get inside her so bad he could feel it, but he needed to use the head on his shoulders first.

“Just a sec.”

He moved over to grab a condom from the nightstand and she watched him with ravenous eyes as he slid the latex down over his massive 9-inch cock.

“You're no teenager,” she breathed.

“I'll take it slow. Promise.”

Merle reached down behind her back and pulled her up into his lap where she lowered herself down on his dick like she was savoring a piece of the finest chocolate.

“Oh fuck yesssss!”

He held her in his arms and she rode him nice and steady. He wanted her to be the one to actually engage in sex with him first, just so he could always tell himself that she started it. It was a small thing, but taking her would only feel right after she voluntarily gave herself to him first. Molly wrapped her arms around his neck, still in her t-shirt and worked him over good for a while and then he needed to lay her out.

He rolled his hips smooth and left her wasted with satisfaction in no time.

“Your cock is so good, baby...you feel so good in me.”

She was no kid, Molly was all woman and she was all his.

He fucked her till he thought he'd go blind and finally came when it was all too much.

/

“I love you...so much,” he groaned as he collapsed on top of her with her arms holding him tight to her chest.

“Then make me your wife,” she whispered, “and be my son's father.”

“You got it...I'll need a ring for you,” he answered, still catching his breath.

“I just need you,” she answered. “All I need is you as long as I live.”

“I can't believe I get to keep you and Wyatt...this is fucking awesome,” he grinned when he finally rolled off of her to let her breathe.

“Your brother is going to kill you,” she joked. “I know he hates the idea of us being together.”

“How do you know that?”

“I can see it in his eyes.”

“He thinks I'm being stupid but he'll get over it, and if he doesn't that's on him. I didn't tell him who to love and there ain't nobody keepin' me from you now.”

“I'm so glad I got in the truck that night,” she smiled.

“I'm so glad I stopped...I thought you were a little doe at first, but then there you were, this half-drowned girl in the ditch. I never could have guessed what you'd mean to me someday. Life is a funny thing, huh?”

“It sure is.”

Wyatt started to bawl and Molly groaned as she rolled over to get up.

“Stay put, I'll grab him.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey, we're a family now. Happy to grab my boy,” he smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me too. I love the sound of that.”

Merle threw on his boxers and headed down the steps to pick up his son and felt so grateful for that one night when he found everything he ever wanted all in one person.

_**~ The End** _


End file.
